A large part of my childhood is gone.
Hulk Hogan, who was the face of professional wrestling throughout the 1980s and 1990s, passed away after suffering cardiac arrest in his home.
He was 71.
Born Terry Bollea, Hulk Hogan began his professional wrestling career in the late 1970s and quickly found his way to the WWF, where he wrestled Andre the Giant in Shea Stadium. He left the WWF when he won the role of “Thunderlips” in Rocky III (WWF owner, Vince McMahon Sr., would not sanction his decision), and when the film came out, he was pushed as a top star in the AWA. The WWF, now run by Vince McMahon Jr., brought Hogan back in late 1983, and within a month, he was crowned the WWF World Heavyweight Champion. The rest, as they say, is history.
The WWF boomed with Hogan on top, and he became a household name. Headlining the first nine Wrestlemanias, Hogan transcended the industry, and though his foray into acting generated mixed results, he was the face of the most considerable boom period of pro wrestling.
Hogan left the WWF in 1993 and, in 1994, signed with its rival, World Championship Wrestling, where he again was a main event talent. The early results were mixed, but in 1996, Hogan shocked the wrestling world by turning heel and forming the New World Order. This faction was so successful it propelled WCW to become the premier wrestling organization in the United States for two years.
Hogan controversially left WCW in 2000 and returned to the now-named WWE in 2001 as part of a rebooted NWO. He headlined Wrestlemania X8 against The Rock, and would appear sporadically for the organization afterward. He found a later career as a reality star in “Hogan Knows Best”, but was involved in a scandal where he used the “N Word” on a leaked tape that led to his temporary “cancellation”. While he would be welcomed back into the WWE, his revisionist history of sorts cost him fans, and in his last WWE appearance, the inaugural Netflix Raw debut, he was booed mercilessly.
Regardless of the complexity of his life, his worldwide impact was undeniable.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com
Comments powered by CComment